The Moga police has booked four youth for allegedly raping a35-year-old Dalit in Ludhiana's Vishva-karma Nagar. Three women havealso been booked.

An FIR has bee registered under Sections 376, 34 and 109 of the IPCagainst the accused, all of whom are absconding, said ASI MalookSingh.

The victim had alleged that on February 20, three women — Manjit Kaur,Nanni and Manju — invited her to their residence to help solve adispute that she had with the four youth in question. She was offereda cup of tea. After she had the tea, she lost consciousness.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday issued showcause notices forcontempt of court to the principal secretary of the social justicedepartment and school education department for not complying with itsorder to reimburse fees of SC/ST and backward-class students.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Ranjit Morewas hearing a PIL saying after the state stopped reimbursing fees in2007, students had been harassed by schools.

On April 28, 2011, the HC ordered the reimbursement of fees to variousschools. On behalf of the schools, it was submitted thatnon-reimbursement of fees was making it difficult for them. When theassistant government pleader was asked about the reason behind thenon-reimbursement, the judges were told that the state had issued a GRdirecting a monthly support of Rs 100-150 to below-poverty-linestudents who study English-medium schools. The advocates forpetitioners and schools pointed out that the order did not cover thefees for them. Concurring with them, the judges directed the issue ofshowcause notices.

Raichur, Feb 24: A total of 127 newly-built houses for flood victimsof Manvi and Sindanoor taluks were inaugurated on Thursday February23.

These houses were built by The Centre for Non Formal and ContinuingEducation (CNF&CE) an NGO run by the Jesuits of Karnataka, in Manvi,Raichur district, for needy people irrespective of caste, creed, andreligion.

The Jesuits have been working in the remote corner of the district forthe past 10 years and have been instrumental in starting a CBSEschool and a PU college for Dalits, where more than 1,500 studentsfrom 65 villages are being educated.

Hampayya Nayak, speaking on the occasion, reiterated his appreciationof the Jesuit Fathers' commitment to the cause of the poor and addedthat they have shown to these people where God is really found. Heappreciated the commitment of Pannur Jesuits for setting aside theirCBSE school for Dalits, the untouchables, 'Deavadasi' children, and apreferential option for the village girls.

Bosraj, the former MLA, was all praise for the quality of the newhouses built with great care and love. He appreciated the quality ofwhatever is done for the poor. He assured the Jesuits of his fullsupport in their ventures for the betterment of village people.

Basavan Bagvat reiterated these views. More than a thousand peoplegathered for the programme from various villages.

Fr Farias welcomed the gathering and thanked all guests for thesupport assured by them.

The well-planned and neatly-built houses were appreciated by all.Children of the village staged various cultural programmes that wereappreciated by all.

The Jesuit Mission of Pannur, Karnataka, includes a health centreeffectively run by the St Joseph's of Tarbes Sisters of MysoreProvince, a school and a college, and extensive social work in about75 villages. Considering the recent deaths of several little childrenon account of malnutrition in Raichur district, a nutrition programmefor the children of 50 villages is being worked out.

Anandaswamy alleged that K Bharathi, who is running a private schoolin Hunsur, obtained Schedule Caste certificate by providing fakedocuments. "She used the certificate to apply for a gas agencylicence. It was soon brought to the officials' notice, but they havenot taken any action," he claimed, adding that this gas agency licenseis particularly reserved for SC candidates.Bharathi, a non-member ofScheduled Caste, has also obtained fake residential addresscertificate. The accused tahsildar and assistant commissioner haveallegedly helped her get the licence. The organization will protestnear deputy commissioner's office demanding action against them onFebruary 27.

National Commission-cum-Director of SC Dr Dibakar Basak, during hisvisit to village Kamadhenukote in Sadar block on Tuesday, reviewed thefacilities and financial assistance provided by the districtadministration so far to the victim SC families whose houses weretorched by a section of people over a dispute over the recentpanchayat polls held at Bhapur in Dhenkanal district.

District Collector Bishnu Prasad Panda appraised the Commissioner thatcooked foods were provided to the victims for 15 days.

According sources, Dr Basak advised the Collector to provide financialassistance to the victim families for construction and repairs oftheir houses and also to provide them jobs. Besides, the Commissionadvised district SP Satis Kumar Ghajaviye for stringent action againstthe miscreants.

--.Arun KhoteOn behalf ofDalits Media Watch Team(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")...................................................................Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiatedwith the support from group of senior journalists, social activists,academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocateand facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper& adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream medianational/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of thePMARC.

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